A week after four engineering students drowned in the sea off the Suryalanka beach in Guntur district, the administration is roping in the tourism, fisheries and revenue departments, the Coast Guard and the Indian Air Force to make the tourist spot safe for visitors.
The four holidaying students —Gudiwada Krishna Prasad, Mahesh Reddy, Srinivas and Jaidev—were taken unawares by a huge tidal wave at around 11 am last Friday.
The government is keen on making the beach, 90 km from the new capital of Amaravati, a popular tourist destination, but the shallow sea of the coast makes it a death trap. As many as 58 deaths have been reported at the beach in the last five years, most of them in the age group of 18-29.
Guntur Rural SP K. Narayan Naik said that immediate measures needed are buoys to mark the danger zones, life jackets for tourists on rent, restrictions on the sale of loose liquor, an ambulance stationed on the beach and construction of watchtowers. Rescue boats and divers should be deployed too.
Mr Naik said a proposal has been sent to the administration to allot two acres of land for a police outpost and watchtowers at the beach.
